Around Us 04-06-10

Published 7:00 pm, Monday, April 5, 2010

NEW DEAL — Dominque Powell was almost finished with his senior year. The 18-year-old New Deal athlete was looking forward to graduation and was considering joining the Army, school staff said.

The teen’s plans were cut short less than two months before graduation when he rolled his vehicle early Monday morning in North Lubbock County.

Powell died in the crash, leaving the community of New Deal at a loss.

Powell was a senior at New Deal High School.

Troopers said Powell was driving north on North University when he disregarded the stop sign at FM 1294 and rolled his 2003 Ford Expedition at about 3:45 a.m. The vehicle rolled several times, causing Powell to be thrown from the vehicle. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the crash report.

Officials said Powell was driving at an unsafe speed and troopers also were investigating alcohol being a possible factor in the crash because of alcohol found at the scene, but results were pending toxicology tests, said Cpl. John Gonzalez. — Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

• • •

MULESHOE — A Temple couple suffered minor injuries Monday evening when their single-engine plane rolled over during takeoff at Muleshoe Municipal Airport, according to the Muleshoe Police Department.

Muleshoe police said the incident occurred just before 6 p.m. after a strong wind blew the craft over. The couple, whose have names have not yet been released, was transported to Muleshoe Area Medical Center.

The investigation is ongoing. — Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

• • •

AMARILLO — Amarillo police will seek a charge of attempted capital murder against a 25-year-old man who allegedly tried to hit an officer with his car Monday morning, sparking a chase and manhunt that closed nearby roads for more than three hours.

A Randall County grand jury will determine if Amarillo police officer Victor Perales was justified in shooting Michael Duane Brown, 25, who allegedly tried to flee a crime scene by driving at the officer with his car.

Officers spotted a stolen Buick in the alley behind the Modern Manor apartment complex at 3408 Janet Drive. At 5:50 a.m., two officers who were watching the suspected stolen car noticed a Dodge Stratus pull up, park beside the Buick, and its driver get out of the vehicle. Authorities allege Brown was driving the Stratus, and they say when the two officers approached him in their patrol cars, he re-entered the Dodge and attempted to drive off, striking the first patrol car in the process.

Police said Brown turned north and drove at Perales, who had exited his patrol car. Officers said Perales feared for his life when he opened fire, striking the front and driver’s side of the Dodge and hitting Brown in the leg.

Brown allegedly crashed the Dodge in the parking lot of a business across the street and ran. A witness said he found the suspect at 8:50 a.m. in the trunk of his white Pontiac in the alley behind Cornerstone Land Surveyors at 4109 33rd Ave. He allegedly fled but police reportedly found him a short time later near the Water Barrel in the 3200 block of South Western Street, suffering from a gunshot wound to his left leg and talking on a cell phone.

Brown was treated and released at an Amarillo hospital. He was booked into the Randall County jail. No bond had been set as of Monday.

A 25-year-old woman who was in the Buick fled when police approached. She was taken into custody, questioned and later released pending further investigation. — Amarillo Globe-News

• • •

ANDREWS — The Permian Basin Steering Committee of the Sierra Club is calling for action to prevent West Texas from becoming the nation’s radioactive waste dump. The Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission is holding a public hearing today in Andrews at 6 p.m. today at Andrews High School Little Theater, 1401 N.W. Ave. K, on a proposed rule governing the importation of so-called "low-level" radioactive waste into Texas from across the nation.

"Low-level" is not low risk. This radioactive waste will be highly toxic for thousands of years. As written, the rule has no limitations on what can be imported, so potentially waste from anywhere in the world could end up in Andrews. There is no consideration of the liability this imported material would bring for Texas taxpayers, who would be responsible for it forever. There are no safeguards put in place in case of a transportation accident, and there is only a minimal 20-day public participation process. The rule allows radioactive waste to be imported without an environmental analysis. The rule does all this without even knowing or requiring first to find out whether the site could have adequate licensed capacity.

This rule is being rushed now so that utilities wanting to build new nuclear power reactors can claim to have a place to dump even though the WCS site has limited capacity. An Environmental Impact Statement should be required as this rule could dramatically increase the amount of waste that comes to the site and increase the threats to the environment and public health.